8/6/2019 Maariv Jun29-11 [Security Cabinet Ministers Rage at IDF Media Spin on Flotilla]

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Security Cabinet Ministers: PR hysteria surrounding flotilla

Eli Bardenstein, Maariv, June 29 2011

Ministers who serve on the security cabinet were highly critical of the fact that they were not apprised of thesensitive intelligence that was disseminated on Monday night to journalists about the plans by the organizers

of the flotilla to use sulfuric acid against IDF troops, their intention to injure and kill as many soldiers aspossible and the presence of terrorists on board the ships taking part in the flotilla.

Some of the ministers went so far as to accuse the spokespersons who provided that information of trying tocreate a media spin, which they said was part of what they described as the public relations hysteriasurrounding the flotilla in an attempt to have it perceived as violent in nature.

It is inconceivable that we should hear information in the security cabinet meeting to the effect that there areno threats posed by the participants in the flotilla to take violent action or about the presence of terrorists onboard the ships, and that senior state organizations, including the army, should produce for the mediainformation that is the complete opposite of what we were told, said one security cabinet minister angrily.Another high-ranking political official said last night that there is increasing reason to fear that this is a spin.

Nothing of the information that was disseminated to the media was presented to us.

One security cabinet minister said that the media briefings were geared to pressure the internationalcommunity. Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to change the version about the nature of the flotilla for tworeasons that are connected to the international community. The first is for reasons of covering himself -- if,suddenly, in the course of the military operation something goes awry and there are casualties, Israel will beable to say that it warned of that in advance. The second reason is to apply pressure on the internationalcommunity so that governments will prevent the ships from leaving for the flotilla from the outset.

IDF officials rejected the allegations as if the information was merely a media spin or, at the very least, adeliberate attempt to create hysteria surrounding the flotilla. The military officials insisted that the intelligencethey had received attested to plans to kill soldiers and to use chemical agents: At issue are substances withdual use that are banned from entering Gaza. Those substances can be utilized in a number of ways, includingso as to injure IDF soldiers. According to the intelligence we have, some of the participants in the flotillaintend to injure and kill soldiers.

Either way, as opposed to the previous flotilla, after which the MaviMarmarawas returned to Turkey afterbeing towed to the Israeli coast, this time a decision has been made to confiscate any ship with the goal ofdeterring the ship-owners. A decision has also been made this time that any activist who uses violence againstIDF troops will not be swiftly released, as occurred following the flotilla last year.

The participants in the flotilla, incidentally, denied the veracity of the information about chemical agentshaving been loaded on board the ships with the goal of using them as weapons to main and/or kill Israelisoldiers.